UP politics in flux: Yogi meets PM, Nadda with eye on 2022 polls

New Delhi | Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief J.P. Nadda and discussed governance as well as the political situation in the state.

In his one-hour meeting with Modi, Yogi apprised him of the political situation in UP and the steps being taken to curb the second Covid wave in the state.

After the meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) tweeted, “Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath met PM Narendra Modi.”

Taking to Twitter, Adityanath said: “Today, I had the privilege of meeting with respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi and getting his guidance. I wholeheartedly thanked the Prime Minister for taking out time from his busy schedule.”

After meeting Modi, the UP Chief Minister met BJP chief J.P. Nadda.

“Met Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath,” Nadda tweeted post meeting.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister termed it as a courtesy meeting.

The key agenda of both the meetings were next year’s Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls along with Covid management, vaccination, impact of farmers protest in the western part of the state and cabinet reshuffle, sources said.

Sources said a cabinet reshuffle will take place in the coming days to include new faces and also fill vacancies.

“Some changes in state organisation may also take place to address the social equation,” they said.

Sources said the role of alliance partner and new recruit Jitin Prasada was also part of the discussion between Adityanath and the BJP central leadership and the Prime Minister.

The role of former bureaucrat turned politician A.K. Sharma, an aide of Prime Minister Modi, was also discussed in the meetings.

“Decision on role of alliance partner Apna Dal, Nishad party and others in Uttar Pradesh government also discussed. Whatever is decided between Adityanath and the central leadership will be executed in Lucknow and it will be visible in the coming days,” sources said.

It is learnt that in the meetings the central leadership emphasised on better coordination and connection between the government and the organisation which is reportedly missing.

On Thursday, the UP CM met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in which apart from the political situation and the saffron party’s preparations, the BJP’s performance in the recent panchayat polls was discussed and it was decided to focus on electing its members as ‘Zila Panchayat Adhyaksh’.

Former Union Minister and Apna Dal Chief Anupriya Patel had joined the deliberations between Shah and Adityanath. Shah also had a separate meeting with Patel after the UP CM’s departure.

Patel, who was a Minister of State in the first Narendra Modi government but failed to make the grade in its second term, is demanding a ministerial berth for herself in the Modi cabinet and a ministerial post for her husband Ashish Patel in the state.

Sources said she is also demanding the posts of Zila Panchayat Adhyaksh of five districts — Mirzapur, Jaunpur, Pratapgarh, Banda and Farrukhabad.

Later in the evening, Nishad Party Chief Sanjay Nishad and his son also met Shah. Rumours had started circulating in Lucknow last fortnight ever since BJP national General Secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh and state in-charge Radha Mohan Singh visited Lucknow to review the party’s preparations for next year’s Assembly elections.

Santhosh had taken feedback from the state ministers and MLAs, which had fuelled speculation about possible changes in the party and the government set up in the state.

Sources claimed that based on the feedback collected by the central leadership, it has been decided to go for a reshuffle in the Uttar Pradesh government as well as in the party’s state unit.

By IANS

The English Post is on Telegram, click to join for regular news updates